This invention relates to a passenger cell for a passenger vehicle having one B-pillar on each side of the vehicle body, a device being provided to increase the transverse rigidity of the passenger cell in side impact loads behind the front seats, said device comprising a closed hollow beam running approximately horizontally across the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, lateral ends of the device connected to the adjacent B-pillars.
French Patent 2 698 600 A1 discloses a passenger compartment for a passenger vehicle having one B-pillar on each side of the vehicle body, whereby to increase the transverse rigidity of the passenger compartment in the event of side impact loads behind the front seats, a device formed by a closed hollow beam running approximately horizontally across the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is provided. This hollow beam directly connects the two opposite B-pillars and is fixedly attached thereto. When seen in the height direction, this hollow beam runs approximately at the level of a seat cushion of a rear seat system.
An object of this invention is to create an effective device for increasing the transverse rigidity of the passenger cell for a 2-door mid-engine passenger vehicle having only front seats, such that the free design of the front seats is not impaired with regard to their adjustability in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the inclination of the backrest.
This object is achieved according to this invention by providing a passenger cell for a passenger vehicle having a B-pillar on each side of the vehicle body, a device being provided to increase the transverse rigidity of the passenger cell in side impact loads behind the front seats, said device comprising a closed hollow beam running approximately horizontally across the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, lateral ends of the device being connected to the adjacent B-pillars, wherein the device is situated approximately at a shoulder height of a vehicle occupant and comprises a central hollow beam offset to the rear in relation to the B-pillars and connected in a force-transmitting manner at its two laterally exterior ends to the B-pillars which are in front as seen in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle via curved side parts as seen from above. Additional features embodying the invention in an advantageous manner are described herein and in the claims.
Important advantages achieved with this invention can be regarded as the fact that the device consisting of a central hollow beam and two curved side parts arranged approximately at the shoulder height of a vehicle occupant ensures good functioning in the event of a side impact while also ensuring a large adjustment range for the front seats in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the angular adjustability of the backrest.
The central longitudinal beam is formed by a rectangular tube of high-strength material, the cross section of this rectangular tube and the wall thickness being designed so that high forces can be absorbed in the transverse direction. The offset of the hollow beam in the longitudinal direction in relation to the two upstream B-pillars in front ensures the displaceability and angular adjustability of the front seats. The hollow beam is preferably connected via a central holder to a top side of a dome-shaped receptacle space underneath. The curved side parts of the device are connected at their outer ends to the adjacent B-pillar and they can effectively transmit forces because they are designed like hollow beams. Additional rear supporting elements running between the side parts and the dome-shaped receptacle space ensure together with the side parts that the forces can be transmitted effectively both forward and to the rear. The hollow beam may also be used for defining a curved element to secure the parcels situated behind it in the longitudinal direction.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
An exemplary embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the drawings and explained in greater detail below.